changeadminWe are facing catastrophic effects of climate change, from extreme heat to melting icecaps, planet Earth is under severe stress and pain. There is an urgent need to address the climate crisis and limit Earth’s temperature to go beyond 1.5° C or 2° C.
In response to this many countries, cities, and companies have set forth net-zero targets. To reach net-zero emissions, we need multiple technologies that are able to mitigate emissions and can also remove greenhouse gases that are already there in the atmosphere.
There are several ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere – afforestation and reforestation, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, soil carbon sequestration, biochar, carbon mineralization, and direct air capture.
Here is a list of carbon removal companies that have incorporated various methods and techniques to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store them permanently or use it for some other purpose.
Running Tide
Running Tide captures carbon dioxide using distributed carbon buoys that utilize macroalgae (marine plants such as kelp) to amplify the natural carbon sink of the ocean. Running Tide micro forests are free-floating in open-ocean currents that are kept in locations that are far from shore where it doesn’t compete for land or coastal space.
After a predefined interval, these specially designed buoys will lose their buoyancy and the micro forests will slowly go and settle down in the ocean bed. The Portland-based company has developed the solution based on the naturally restorative power of oceans (marine plants) to absorb CO₂ through photosynthesis and store it in the deep ocean reservoirs.
- Headquarters: Portland, Oregon, USA
- Founded in: 2017
- Website: www.runningtide.com
Loam Bio
Loam uses microbial soil sequestration to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Australia-based Loam has developed a microbial seed coating that enhances a plant’s natural ability to store carbon in the soil. A farmer sows the seeds coated with microbial inoculum and plants and the microbes work together to build carbon in the soil and keep it there.
In addition to absorbing carbon, Loam products also improve soil health and increase crop productivity.
- Headquarters: Orange, NSW, Australia
- Founded in: 2019
- Website: www.loambio.com
Charm Industrial
Charm Industrial uses biomass resources (composed of agricultural, forestry, waste, and algal materials) and converts them into carbon-rich oil, and then pumps the oil into deep wells.
The California-based company takes advantage of the carbon capture work that plants are already doing, their intervention is by using biomass and converting that into carbon-rich oil (also called Bio-Oil). They produce this Bio-oil through a process called fast pyrolysis where biomass like corn stover, rice straw, almond shells, etc. are heated up to about 500°C in the absence of oxygen to break down the plant material into a mix of biochar and bio-oil.
Charm is also exploring options to use the bio-oil to cut emissions from iron and steelmaking.
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
- Founded in: 2018
- Website: www.charmindustrial.com
Climeworks
Climeworks is a Swiss company that develops, builds, and operates Direct Air Capture (DAC) machines to capture CO₂ directly from the air. Climeworks is one of the first carbon removal companies that established a DAC machine. The company’s Iceland facility has machines that bring air into contact with chemicals that absorb and transform the carbon dioxide so it can be stored underground or used for making other products.
- Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland
- Founded in: 2009
- Website: www.climeworks.com
Heirloom Carbon
Heirloom’s direct air capture process leverages Earth-abundant minerals, namely calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and renewable energy to capture carbon dioxide (CO2 ) directly from the air. The captured CO2 is stored either in geological reservoirs or by mineralization.
Founded in 2020, Heirloom’s technology accelerates the natural process of minerals to absorb carbon dioxide from the air in a matter of days instead of years.
Unlike other direct air capture companies, Heirloom uses naturally occurring minerals instead of synthetic sorbents, this process reduces the need for energy.
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
- Founded in: 2020
- Website: www.heirloomcarbon.com
Noya
Noya retrofits the existing cooling towers that are located in commercial buildings, industries, and other places to perform direct air capture. These installations accelerate the amount of CO₂ captured from the atmosphere.
The California-based company then sequesters the carbon permanently, sell it as a product, or uses it to make new products.
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
- Founded in: 2020
- Website: www.noya.co
Sustaera
Sustaera uses a modular direct air capture system that is powered by renewable energy.
- Headquarters: Cary, North Carolina
- Founded in: 2021
- Website: www.sustaera.com
Mission Zero Technologies
Mission Zero Technologies provides direct air carbon capture services by capturing Carbon dioxide in its organic form.
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
- Founded in: 2020
- Website: www.missionzero.tech
Carbon Clean
Carbon Clean is one of the oldest carbon removal companies that specializes in industrial carbon capture solutions. Established in 2009, the company has customizable solutions based on the need of specific industries. Companies in sectors like steel, refineries, cement, and biogas are already using Carbon Clean solutions.
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
- Founded in: 2009
- Website: www.carbonclean.com
44.01
44.01 leverages the carbon mineralization process that converts CO₂ into solid rock and prevents CO2 from escaping back into the environment.
The London-based company uses Peridotite, a special type of rock that is found under Earth’s surface. This natural rock mineralizes and forms Serpentine and Calcite when it’s exposed to CO2 and water.
The startup has partnered with other Carbon sequestration companies like Mission Zero and Climeworks.
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
- Founded in: 2020
- Website: www.4401.earth
CarbonCure
CarbonCure manufactures a carbon dioxide utilization technology that injects captured CO₂ into concrete to reduce its carbon footprint. Once CO₂ is introduced into the fresh concrete, it undergoes a mineralization process and becomes permanently embedded.
- Headquarters: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
- Founded in: 2012
- Website: www.carboncure.com
Add comment